A girl traveling the world having the time of her life

#Language

Language is a very important part of my life. Languages have taught me a great deal. They have taught me about different cultures. But most importantly I have understood the beauty of communication. I’ve learned how valuable and how important communication is. The many kinds of languages may bring their differences, but at least we can communicate with each other.
One foundation for the importance of language in my life is it helps me learn my native language even better. In other words, when I was learning Spanish, I acquired more knowledge about the English sentence structure. I understood English in a different way than I used to.
People say if you look at a country’s currency, then you can learn a lot about their culture. I tend to disagree, I believe that when you learn a country’s language you can learn a great deal about their culture. When languages are spoken, they are parts of culture in it. Once I learned the basics of Thai, I had a sense of the culture. For example, they say “ka” at the end of a sentence (sawadee ka). My teacher explained to me that they use this when they are talking to elders. This two-letter word shows that Thai people respect their elders. Whereas, in English we do not have ‘polite’ words and our culture respects people older than us but no where near what the Thai people do.
Some skills only last a short time, but not languages; languages last a lifetime. Languages open career paths to those who know multiple ones. In our society and even in our world, communication is super important. Languages are used everyday for the sole purpose of communicating. Without languages, I do not know how the world would function. An abundance of people take languages for granted, and many do not realize how valuable they are.
I’m going to share a personal experience with you. In the U.S., our foreign language curriculum consists of Spanish, since Arizona is located close to Mexico. I have been learning Spanish from when I was in kindergarten up to this point. It was just new words and new phrases I didn’t give it a second thought. Once I moved to a foreign country, only then did my eyes open to a whole new world. People I have met while I have been overseas know multiple languages. I admired those who know many languages. Learning a language is a skill that is invaluable and is a lifetime gift.
Language in itself is a skill and an important part of culture. Only when you learn it do you realize how significant communication is and more about your own native language. Despite, languages taking some time and patience to learn, in the end it is all worth it. Only then did I realize the beauty of communication and how valuable languages are.